Lake Compounce

The Guiding Eyes For The Blind program will have dogs at the Lake Compounce plaza on Aug. 7 to showcase the Guiding Eyes puppies that volunteer families have raised. Guiding Eyes is a nonprofit group that teams blind and visually impaired people with guide dogs and long-term support services. The organization will be recruiting families to raise puppies for its program. It visits the amusement park each year with dogs and volunteers. "Without our volunteer puppy raisers, we would not be able to supply guide dogs to those in need," Regional Manager Maria Dunne said in a statement.

By MARYELLEN FILLO, mfillo@courant.com and The Hartford Courant, September 3, 2014

Technically, there is still some summer left so while the kids may be back to school and your nose back to the grindstone, lighten up a bit! There is still a lot of summer weekend fun to be had and it starts again today! The Wadsworth Atheneum gets things rolling with its First Thursday After Hours event on Thursday, Sept. 4. Theme for the party is "Sing the Blues" and it will include music, performances, landscape painting and a Hartford Denim Co. pop-up store. Complimentary food and a cash bar and the film "Le Weekend" at 8 p.m. round out the party that starts at 5 p.m. For more information go here . It's nearly fall and nearly election time and that means the annual Crocodile Club Luncheon at Lake Compounce in Bristol on Friday, Sept.

It was a Starlite Ballroom full of Dems and GOPs at Lake Compounce Tuesday, bound together by bi-partisan roasted lamb, fried cream corn and a political tradition many feared had ended. It was the reconvening of the Crocodile Club, the nation's oldest eating club and one of the most notorious political get-togethers ever. "It feels good to be back," said state politico and well-known lobbyist Gardner Wright who was doing the welcoming duties at the door. "It's a tradition everyone hated to see end but we are so happy to see it come back, especially in a political year like this one. " First hosted in 1875 by businessman Gad Norton, as a payback to some sympathetic legislators who helped him get a boundary change for his Bristol/Southington property, the annual luncheon because a "must go" for politicians and the campaign hungry media.

This is the last weekend to catch Illuminate the Night, Lake Compounce's laser light show that features a 50-foot water wall that veils across the lake decorated with lasers and projections along to music. The family-friendly show at the Bristol amusement park starts around 9 p.m., Friday, Saturday and Sunday and lasts just over 20 minutes. Free with park admission. For the best view, find a spot along the beach. Park entrance fees are $18.74 to $39.99. Information: 860-583-3300 and lakecompounce.com . - Sara Grant , sagrant@courant.com

The Lake Compounce theme park opened for the season on May 11. Lake Compounce, which bills itself as the oldest continuously operating amusement park in the country, marks its 169th year with an new wave pool and a Johnny Rockets outlet. The Crocodile Cove Waterpark will open on May 25. Its new Bayou Bay wave pool is twice as big as the original one, and will feature a Fiberglas statue of the mascot, Kyle the Crocodile. Operating schedule details are at www.lakecompounce.com .

SOUTHINGTON — To help Lake Compounce move forward with its expansion plans, the town council is considering giving the amusement park tax breaks in return for building a new road. The idea is the latest development in the town's long-running effort to help Lake Compounce expand its popular water park toward the east. The project could bring the town a considerable amount of new tax revenue. The eastward expansion is blocked by Mount Vernon Road. The original plan was to move the road, but a state grant that would have paid for a substantial part of the cost didn't materialize.

This is the last weekend to catch Illuminate the Night, Lake Compounce's laser light show that features a 50-foot water wall that veils across the lake decorated with lasers and projections along to music. The family-friendly show at the Bristol amusement park starts around 9 p.m., Friday, Saturday and Sunday and lasts just over 20 minutes. Free with park admission. For the best view, find a spot along the beach. Park entrance fees are $18.74 to $39.99. Information: 860-583-3300 and lakecompounce.com . - Sara Grant , sagrant@courant.com

SOUTHINGTON — A proposal to close a section of Mount Vernon Road to accommodate the expansion of the Lake Compounce amusement park appears to have been short-lived. A half-mile section of Mount Vernon Road runs past Lake Compounce and lies in the way of any potential eastward expansion of the park. Earlier this year, park officials suggested closing the road, but at a meeting March 25, the town's economic development committee decided against the closing. Instead, the committee is focusing on having Lake Compounce relocate the road and remove the old section at its own expense, estimated at $3 million to $4 million.

The Haunted Graveyard at Lake Compounce is thrilled to announce that it has been voted one of Halloween's scariest thrills by the Travel Channel, and can be seen on their 'Halloween Fright Nights' special which debuted on Sept. 29. The program will be repeated throughout the month of October. The Haunted Graveyard at Lake Compounce will open for their 13th season, on Friday Oct. 4, and run weekends through Oct. 27. The park is also open and will feature eerie decorations and live actors combing the midway, dressed to thrill.

The first time I was at Lake Compounce, I stared up at it in amazement as I sat on an inner tube floating along Anchor Bay's lazy river and wondered what it would be like to explore it. The next time I saw it — with a hawk perched on top of a tall, dead tree — I knew I had to explore it. "It" is Compounce Mountain, which rises up over the oldest continuously operating amusement park in North America like an undiscovered country....

By SUSAN DUNNE, sdunne@courant.com and The Hartford Courant, August 12, 2014

Rob Caprilozzi saw "Jaws" when he was a little kid and it scared him so much he refused to go swimming for a long time. "You could put me in a pool and I'd be positive there'd be a shark in there," Caprilozzi says. He saw "Alien" a few years later. "That chest-buster scene really got me. I was scared to eat for a while. " Caprilozzi doesn't let movies get to him like that anymore. But he still loves horror movies. The original "Halloween" is his favorite. Now Caprilozzi wants to bring a little bit of "Halloween" to Connecticut, as well as a little bit of "Friday the 13th," "The Exorcist," "American Horror Story," "The Walking Dead" and other horror favorites.

By ANERI PATTANI, apattani@courant.com and The Hartford Courant, July 8, 2014

BRISTOL - Lake Compounce isn't just for "daycations" anymore. The theme and water park opened its new campground July 1, inviting families to spend not only their days at the park, but their nights, as well. Bear Creek Campground, which is a short walk or tram ride from the theme park, features cabins, RV sites, tent sites and teepees. The 15-acre campground can host up to 300 people a night. Twenty furnished cabins sleep up to 10 people and have heat and air-conditioning.

BRISTOL - Lake Compounce will host its annual fireworks display over the lake in celebration of Independence Day. The show begins at 10 p.m. on July 4. The rain date is July 5. Pyrotecnico will launch fireworks from floating barges and from the far side of the lake, the amusement park said. Beginning the same night is Illuminate the Sky, a laser light show that will be put on every Friday, Saturday and Sunday night through Aug. 24. It will be p roduced by Lasertainment from Minnesota.

There is more to preparing a child for adulthood than simply an academic education. An important part of becoming a mature and responsible adult is learning to be resilient to life's constant changes. Summer camp is a great way to teach children these necessary coping skills in a safe and friendly setting. And let's face it, it is equally important for a child to just kick back and have some fun! The Bridge Family Center in West Hartford offers exactly that at their Slide into Summer Camp for children in grades six through nine.

This Saturday May 17, Pink's Hot Dogs will celebrate the Grand Opening of the first East Coast location at Lake Compounce in Bristol. The celebration will commence with a Wiener Dog 100 Race, Dachshund Fashion Show, and a Hot Dog Bobbing contest. In conjunction with the Connecticut Dachshund Rescue and Pet Services (CTDRPS) organization, the Wiener Dog 100 Race will feature 50 Dachshunds competing in heats of five, racing for the ultimate distinction of 'Fastest Hot Dog'. The top three winners will be donned with first, second and third place metals on a three-tiered podium and each will receive a basket of dog treats courtesy of the Lake Compounce.

This Saturday, May 10, Lake Compounce hosts its grand opening day. The park gates open at 11 a.m., and to kick off the season, Lake Compounce is offering 'buy one, get one free' tickets for all guests on May 10, 11, 17 and 18 when purchased online at http://www.lakecompounce.com. Lake Compounce has also expanded their season pass offering to give guests the choice of two season pass options. The Platinum pass will provide guests with unlimited entry into the park from May through December, including the duration of Haunted Graveyard and Holiday Lights.

BY HILDA MUÑOZ, hmunoz@courant.com and The Hartford Courant, May 31, 2013

One of five school buses bringing RHAM High School seniors on a class trip to Lake Compounce in Bristol caught fire on Route 229 Friday morning. All students exited safely, school officials said in an e-mail to parents. A motorist noticed smoke coming out of the engine and alerted the bus driver, who pulled over. Students aboard the bus said they had help from a passerby and an off-duty Cheshire firefighter. Kyle Holland, 18, said the passerby alerted the bus driver to the fire and opened the door so students could get out, burning his hands in the process.

By MATTHEW STURDEVANT, msturdevant@courant.com and The Hartford Courant, April 24, 2014

The state Office of Tourism on Thursday announced a $3.4 million marketing effort with advertisements featuring destinations from Lake Compounce to Lime Rock Park as part of Connecticut's "Still Revolutionary" campaign. Starting this month, new advertising spots will be broadcast on television, along with other public relations and social media efforts, to showcase various locations. The latest twist on the campaign, called "Revolutionary Thoughts," pairs identifiable destinations with the idea that Connecticut has a diverse set of offerings relatively close to each other.

Pink's Hot Dogs, a Hollywood Legend since 1939, has partnered with Lake Compounce and will open a restaurant in the park, across from the Carousel this May. This family owned business was named by Fox News as number one in a list of Top Ten Hot Dog Stands in the U.S., and attracts celebrities including Jay Leno, Martha Stewart, and Food Network superstars Giada de Laurentiis and Guy Fieri just to name a few. This will be the only Pink's location on...